IftKHTj FEBRUARY II, 1911.
At Filton the Company have a factory where they can
employ some eighty men, which is already organised on a
scale capable of turning out two machines a week. They
have a number of orders on hand, including one of eight
machines for the Russian Government ; and in addition
to their well-known biplanes, they are at the present moment
engaged in the construction of an experimental monoplane,
of which, however, it is early days to say any thing more
explicit yet.
That evening Sir George White presided at a dinner held
at the Clifton Downs Hotel, and in the course of a subsequent
speech he explained how eleven months ago he had not
even thought of entering the aeroplane industry, but how,
since that concern had been started, the British and Colonial
Aeroplane Company's activities had been such as already
to have necessitated a doubling of the original ^25,000
working capital, and a doubling of the original factory erected
for the purpose of constructing their aeroplanes. Already
they had built forty successful aeroplanes, to say nothing
of the unsuccessful models that they first attempted to
construct ; and, moreover, seven certified pilots had already
qualified on Bristol biplanes, including Mr. Herbert Thomas,
Sir George White's nephew, who, being only eighteen years
of age, is at present the youngest certified pilot in England.
Sir George White also announced that the Company had
been asked to tender by the War Office, and that he hoped
that something might come of it.
Also, it transpired that during the eleven months in ques
tion an unrivalled staff of first-class professional men had
been brought together, and that manufacture and design
fully up to the best traditions of British workmanship had
been from the first assured. Now are available no less than
seven certified pilot aviators on the permanent staff for the
purpose of demonstrating the capabilities of the machines
and for teaching pupils to handle them ; while already repre
sentatives have been sent to represent the Company and
its nterests in distant parts of the world, including Australia,
India and South Africa.
Early the following morning the party set out in a fleet of
closed motor cars for Salisbury Plain, where they arrived about
Entrance to the rapidly growing works of tne British and
Colonial Aeroplane Company's factory at Bristol.
half-past eleven. Here three aeroplanes were in readiness
and M. Maurice Tetard, the chief instructor of the School,
made several splendid passenger flights in a rather puffy
wind, variously estimated at between 15 and 20 miles an
hour. M. Tetard's mastery of his machine was superb.
In the afternoon other flights were made by Mr. A. R. Low,
who is the Company's technical engineer, and by Captain
Wood, who is at the present time in charge of the Company's
school at Brooklands. Both pilots made some splendid
passenger flights and extremely graceful vols plane. Mi
Tetard also ascended to an altitude of some 1,500 ft., as
near as could be judged, and made a magnificent vol plans'
from this height. Subsequently the visitors returned to
London from Westbury, whither they were driven in the
same fleet of cars that had brought them from Bristol.
BRITISH AND COLONIAL AEROPLANE COMPANY'S DEVELOPMENTS.—Views in the factory at Bristol,
showing the aeroplanes, propellers, &e„ in course of construction.
Eight on a Monoplane.
YET another step towards the time when the flying
bus will be a feature of our daily life was made on the 2nd inst.,
when Lemartin, the chief pilot of the Bleriot School at Pau,
succeeded in keeping the new four-seated Bleriot in the air
for about 8 mins. whilst carrying eight persons on board, the
weight transported being 423-5 kilogs. On landing the
pilot as well as M. Bleriot himself expressed the opinion that
it would have been possible to carry two more persons on
the machine; and in fact two others did take their
"seats," although no flight was attempted. This four-seated
Bleriot has been designed for military purposes, and, as will
be seen from our photographs, is distinguished from all other
Blsriot machines inasmuch as it has an elevator in front.
The span is 13 metres and the supporting surface about
40 square metres, while the machine weighs 600 kilogs, It
is fitted with a 100-h.p. 14-cyl. Gnome engine.
The Latest Bleriot Vlon-,plaie.
ANOTHER new machine is being tested by MM. Bleriot
and Leblanc at Pau. It is designated " XX," and is distin
guished by the fact that the planes are so made as to be
adjustable. With the planes arranged so as to give the
smallest surface possible a speed of 100 k.p.h, has been
attained.
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